[Nerdspresso] Talking Troma and Curly Fries with James Gunn (In My Head)

I used to do this thing with my friends where we would name our imaginary celebrity bros. These would be well-known folks that we wanted to hang out with in real life. Based on what we knew about them, imaginary celebrity bros were famous guys who seemed like good dudes. Fellas like Paul Rudd, Ryan Gosling, or Kevin Smith who might be down for splitting a pizza and talking about why Michael Keaton was the best Batman. 

Although Kevin Smith might fight me on that one because he’s pals with Ben Affleck, who also would be an awesome imaginary celebrity bro. This term sounds a lot cooler to me than saying I have a man crush, but I guess it’s the same thing. But this fascination was not just about fandom. It was about appreciating these prominent individuals who seemed like regular folks. Despite all the tinsel and buzz, there’s the hope that they’re just like you and me. 

For example, Paul Rudd takes his kids trick or treating. Ryan Gosling loves his mom. Kevin Smith collects comic books. And Ben Affleck likes Dunkin’ Donuts. Hey, we’re all just one big happy nerd family! While I don’t collect imaginary celebrity bros anymore, I do think that James Gunn and I could be pals. The writer/director of the recent Superman reboot and the mastermind behind HBO Max’s Peacemaker series does seem like my kind of people. 

I have a real-life friend named Glenn who is an actor and indie filmmaker in LA (I do, trust me. Glenn is a REAL person. He has an IMDB bio and everything!). He graduated from the University of Central Florida film school and then studied at the American Film Institute in L.A. While there, Glenn took acting classes with Gunn, Jenna Fischer (Pam from The Office), and Bill Hader (SNL and HBO’s Barry). This was in the early 2000’s before any of them were super famous. 

Glenn said they were all really nice people. That kind of thing happens in L.A. You do stuff and then the people around you start trending. We have acting classes in my town, too, but no one really becomes famous. Although one guy I know did a tire commercial. That was really cool. [Editor’s Note: Hey, Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty went to your high school!] I remembered Glenn’s stories about the gang from his acting classes, more for Hader and Fischer (who was actually married to Gunn for a while) than Gunn, but his name stuck out. 

As a name, James Gunn is a memorable moniker. He sounds like a TV detective or maybe a guy who could take care of those armadillos stuck under your house. Being a movie geek AND a writer nerd, I took notice when his name started popping up in movie credits. First, it was those live-action Scooby-Doo movies with SMG and Matthew Lillard, and then Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake (which is badass and probably Snyder’s most un-Zack Snydery movie). 

Digging into Gunn’s early credits, I discovered his first screenwriting gig was an outrageous horror movie parody of Shakespeare called Tromeo and Juliet for Lloyd Kaufman’s Troma Films. Kaufman is the mad impresario behind the Toxic Avenger movies. He gave Gunn his start in filmmaking. He continues to return the favor by sneaking Kaufman cameos into many of his movies (blink and you’ll miss him in Superman during the fight scene with Mr. Terrific).

Kaufman is also famous to me because he lives in Manhattan near my friend Harvey. He has a brownstone with a door knocker that looks like the Toxic Avenger. See, I KNOW people! He also harbors a deep resentment toward Blockbuster Video, but everyone’s spirituality is their own business. Following his work with Troma Films, Gunn wrote a comedy called The Specials, which is similar to Mystery Men in that it is a severely underrated superhero tale. 

The Specials offers a glimpse at the humor and heart that Gunn would bring to his future superhero movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Superman. His affinity for offbeat characters and skill with memorable dialogue are apparent in this flick about low-level superheroes. After a handful of films, I was starting to warm up to Gunn as a clever screenwriter with an eye for genre material. Then he busted out his directorial debut with Slither.

This sci-fi comedy horror flick put Gunn on my radar as a filmmaker to watch. Slither fed a retro monster movie vibe with a fresh contemporary attitude. This movie introduced us to his ability to use familiar tropes and then upend them with daring and wit. He also revealed a genius eye for casting. Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry, Elizabeth Banks, Jenna Fischer, and Nathan Fillion were all in Slither and have shown up in several of his other flicks.

Gunn followed up Slither with Super, a dark comedy with Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) as a delusional fry cook who becomes a costumed vigilante. It’s a violent and absurdly funny take on crimefighting and a precursor to the hilarious mayhem Gunn would unleash later in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. His style is like Tarantino if he were a comic-book geek, serving up no-holds-barred nerdery with a heavy dose of graphic violence. 

He showed equal creativity, but greater restraint, with his more traditional comic book movies. Gunn has a flair for cinematic alchemy, turning both obscure and iconic characters into blockbuster stars. His affection for the material, gifted writing, and sure-footed direction made his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and the new Superman riveting entertainment. Gunn has proven himself a trusted steward of both Marvel and DC while always prioritizing narrative over IP. 

A lot of superhero movies these days feel more like product than stories. His strength has been a fervid passion for storytelling. He makes a good movie first, a Marvel/DC entry second. The fact that he’s also a fan is just a bonus. Warner Bros/Discovery recognized his superpower when they made him head of DC Studios. Gunn is now shepherding their properties across movies, TV, animation, and video games. It’s exciting to see these legendary characters treated with affection and respect instead of only as commodities. 

Gunn’s loyalty seems to be a defining trait. He consistently puts his family and friends in his movies, which thankfully works because they’re all really talented as well. His choices seem motivated by their abilities rather than mere nepotism. Check out Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker to spot his congenial repertory, which features his brother Sean, his pal Steve Agee, and his wife Jennifer Holland. Eagle-eyed viewers will also spy cameos from stars of his previous movies peppered throughout his filmography.  

Based on stories from the set, Gunn’s productions sound like they’re a lot of fun. He seems like a nice guy who genuinely likes people, which shows in his interactions with fans both at cons and on social media. He values their dedication and sincerely appreciates their affection for his work. And he has great taste in music! Gunn was the first guy to infuse pop music into superhero flicks, creating a new cinematic language for this genre. 

His soundtracks from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies are truly awesome mixes. They featured classics from the ‘70s and ‘80s that were as essential to the success of those movies as the cast, costumes, and special effects. Besides reminding me of some old favorites, Gunn also introduced me to some totally righteous tunes. I discovered the Jim Carroll Band’s “People Who Died” in the opening moments of The Suicide Squad. Teddybear’s “Punkrocker” during the closing credits of Superman was my anthem this summer. 

I’d never even have known about Wig Wam and Foxy Shazam if they hadn’t supplied the music for Peacemaker’s opening credits sequences. Gunn may have made the best show intros ever! I often watch episodes again just to catch those dance numbers. He gets major props for making superheroes fun again. His work is a manifestation of his own fandom and that enthusiasm translates to the audience. He is sharing stuff he loves, which is what friends do. 

Gunn seems like the kind of guy who would enjoy coffee and a gab sesh about the possibilities of Blue Beetle showing up in season three of Peacemaker. Is there going to be a season three? Maybe he’d spill some secrets from the upcoming Supergirl or the just-announced Superman sequel? Come on, James. Inquiring minds want to know. I admire a lot of filmmakers, but I don’t want to hang out with too many of them. For some reason, I can’t imagine Christopher Nolan talking comics over an order of curly fries. But James Gunn? I think we could be friends. 

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